Blue Jays’ Trey Yesavage nearing return to big-league start

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Trey Yesavage was back in his preferred Blue Jays attire on Friday, playing catch in the Rogers Centre outfield as he finds himself on the cusp of his highly anticipated next big league assignment.

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When that comes remains to be seen as the team wants to make sure the rookie phenom from last season is armed and ready to pick up where he left off in 2025.

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The prospect of having the 22-year-old as part of the team for the majority of a full major league season is an enticing one, especially given the turmoil the team has already navigated with its rotation.

“It’s very exciting, without putting too much pressure on him,” manager John Schneider said on Friday. “There’s going to be adjustments he’s going to have to make and that the league will make to him. You kind of forget that part, where it’s going to be his first full year in the big leagues.

“It will be good to watch him navigate that and have veteran guys to help him along the way. It’s nice to be pretty damn close to having a guy like him an option every five days.”

At hand is Jays management and coaching staff deciding whether Yesavage — officially on the injured list because of a right shoulder impingement — should have a third start with triple-A Buffalo, or proceed directly to Toronto. Though the team doesn’t put too much stock in result of rehab assignments, but in his most recent outing in Buffalo on Tuesday, he allowed four runs (just two of them earned) on four walks and two hits over 2.1 innings.

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The team is also mindful that the previous time Yesavage faced a big league hitter was in Game 7 of the World Series last November and wants to make sure he’s fully ready to face elite competition once again.

Schneider said he planned to talk to Yesavage on Friday to determine the best course — either one more start in a Bisons uni or back to the bigs. When the call comes, though, it will be all systems go.

“He’s a bright kid and he’s pretty polished in terms of what his stuff does and how each of his pitches work,” Schneider said. “I don’t want to compare him to Kevin Gausman, but I think that there’s going to be a time where there’s going to be outing where he can rely on the split or the slider.

“The thing about him is he understands how his stuff works.”

Neither Schneider nor general manager Ross Atkins were willing to commit to the return coming next week against the Boston Red Sox when Yesavage’s next start would fall.

“We’re going to meet with him now on that and just work through it with him,” Atkins said. “Really encouraged about where he is, encouraged by his stuff, encouraged by the progression, obviously healthy at this point.

“So feel like he could be an option for us soon.”

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